Halloween brings back classic slasher masterpiece
The well-loved, well-feared man is back with his iconic mask. In 1978, Halloween hit theaters and paved the path for a genre that we now call slasher films. It was the hit film by John Carpenter that will forever remain a cult classic. The several sequels that followed were entertaining, but nothing compared to the classic.
Director David Gordon Green has resurrected the slasher film (also titled Halloween), picking up 40 years after the original film, ignoring everything that happened in the other nine sequels and remakes.
Homicidal maniac Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) has been incarcerated and is in a mental institution. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has been severely traumatized by the events that took place in her hometown in Haddonfield, Illinois. She’s a self-described basket case whose marriage never worked out and whose daughter Karen (Judy Greer) was taken away from her as a child. Karen, now an adult, isn’t on good terms with her mother.
Laurie lives in a secluded house, which is booby-trapped, and she is rifle-ready, waiting patiently until the day Michael returns.
While Michael is being transferred to a maximum security prison, he escapes. No surprise there. When news breaks of his escape, Laurie immediately warns her daughter and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). This is the day Laurie had been praying for — she wants to kill him once and for all.
We see Michael go on a rampage, stalking and offing his victims — some in the background, just like the original film. The hunt is on again as Michael is here to finish the job, while Laurie awaits.
Horror fans are aware that many sequels don’t quite hit the mark when compared to the original. In many instances, they disappoint. But, having seen the mediocre sequels that followed the classic hit, I’d have to say this one is, by far, the best.
Like most horror films, this one is layered with dry humor and some suspenseful moments that you don’t see coming. The film gets quite nostalgic, bringing in snippets of the original as well as the score, revisited by horror legend John Carpenter, his son Cody Carpenter, and godson Daniel Davies.
Some of the scenes were even filmed from Myers’ point of view, an homage I loved to see again on screen. There’s even a hilarious joke about Laurie being related to Michael Myers, referencing the sequels.
Riddled with plenty of homages to the original, along with Easter eggs hidden throughout the movie, this one makes for a fun film for fans of horror and/or Halloween (1978). Even the original Michael Myers (Nick Castle) makes a cameo. While Green doubled the gore in this R-rated film, it wasn’t as gory as, say, Saw. Horror fans know what to expect by now.
Jamie Lee Curtis was as impeccable as ever. Forty years after the original, she still kicked butt in an impressive, applause-worthy manner. She manages to takes us on a thrilling ride — all we do is root for her. At no point in the film do we ever question whether it’s a been-there-done-that-before trick. She makes you fear the fate of Michael Myers, and for that, all the power to Curtis. I mean, have you seen her with rifle in hand?
As a horror aficionado, I enjoyed watching Halloween on the big screen, as well as on Blu-ray. The thrills, chills, wits and scares were well worth the watch. ~Marriska Fernandes
Fans will definitely enjoy the special features on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.
Deleted/Extended Scenes: There some fun extended scenes that are interesting to watch and sometimes, quite hilarious. The scenes include: Extended Shooting Range, Shower Mask Visit, Jog to a Hanging Dog, Allyson and Friends at School, Cameron and Cops Don’t Mix, Deluxe Banh Mi Cops and Sartain and Hawkins Ride Along
Back in Haddonfield: Making Halloween: A featurette showing behind-the-scenes footage that proves to be very interesting.
The Original Scream Queen: This featurette talks about the history of Laurie Strode.
The Sound of Fear: John Carpenter and his son Cody worked on revamping the original score to fit the theme and making it just as nostalgic.
Journey of the Mask: Horror aficionados know that the original mask stemmed from William Shatner. This feature talks about the origin and the changes made for the current film, making it modern, yet aged.
The Legacy of Halloween: Horror fans will love this one. Jamie Lee Curtis, John Carpenter, David Gordon Green and Jason Blum have a roundtable discussion about the film and the franchise, revealing details that fans perhaps didn’t know.
Originally published on Tribute.ca.